Tail-cutting device for tubular plates



May 1,1923.

H. A. W. WOOD TAIL CUTTING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR PLATES Origin l Filed March 11,

1915 25 Sheets-Sheet 1 Int/e72 (f-a): 0 M56 00d May 1, 1923.

H. A. W. WOOD TAIL CUTTING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR BLATES Original Filed March 11, 191 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .[nveni'ov May 1, 1923. 1,454,006

H. A. w. WOOD TAIL CUTTING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR PLATES Original Filed March '11, 1915 a Sheets-Shet 5 Patented May 1, 1923.

' UNITEDSTATES PATENT HENRY A. WISE WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASS IGNOR T THEWOOD NEWSPAPER MAGHINERY'CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

TAIL-CUTTING 'nnvrcn non TUBULAR rLA'rns.

Original application filed March 11, 1915, Serial No. 13,733. Renewed'lvlay is, 1919. Serial No. 297,565. Divided and this application filed. liecember 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. Wis YVooo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Tail-Cuttin Device for Tubular Plates, of which t e following is a specification. n

This is a. division of my Patent No. 1,332,- 10 5531, granted March 2", 1920, on casting and finishing apparatus curved stereotype printing plates on an application originally filed March 11, 1915, Ser. No. 13,733, renewed May 16, 1919, Ser. N 0. 297,565, I

This invention relates to the finishing of curved stereotype printing plates and particularly those plates known as ti'ibular" plates in which each one constitutes a complete cylinder, with the exception of a narrow gap the width of the margin.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide means whereby ribs formed on the plates during the casting operation will be shaved on the inside during the rejection of the cast plate from the mold; to provide means whereby during the shaving operation the plate will be backed up by the surface against which it is cast, at leastat a point opposite the shaving blade, and will have the matrix on which it is cast located between it and this backing surface, sothat the printing surface cannot be marred; to

provide means for cutting the tail from the plate after it is ejected without first giving.

it any motion except that required forejecting it, and to provide improvements in the mechanismior' accomplishing these results- The invention also involves other features of invention which will appear hereinafter.

40 Reference is to be had to the accompanying' drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of finishingapparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; Fig. is a plan; d Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the tail cutter on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5;5 of Fig. 2, showing the casting box itself in plan to illustrate the shaving op eration.

Although capable of use for other forms of castings, the invention is particularly designed for making tubular stereotype plates, as has been stated above.- As ordinarily con structed, these plates are made in a mold having a cylindrical core'and itvis nece'ssary to remove them from the. casting box by hand, turning the core over intohoriz'om 1 tal position for that purpose. They are then placed in a boring machine in which the inner surface of the plate is turned delicate operation than is thecase wit-h the" circumferential ribs on the ordinary. semicylindric'al plate.-

The use of longitudinal ribs In order to solve these diiliculties accoidmg; to' said original pat nt I make th plate;

with one or more helical ribson its interior surface extending from end to end. This is accomplished by using a core having one or more helical grooves v on its exterior throughout its entire length. This not only has the result of permitting the finishing of the interior of the plate a simple operation, because only a small amount of metal has to be removed, but it also has several other advantages. In the first place while the plate is being ejected in this waythe shaving operation can be performed 'simply by the use of a blade on the core itself. In

this way manualhandling of the casting is avoided and in fact the time usually taken for removing the casting and putting it into the finishing or boring machine is saved. Furthermore the matrix can'be left in contact with the plate while it is being ejected and'finished, thus protecting the plate from contact with any hard metal on its printing surface.

By the use of this invention, furthermore,

the tail cutting operation can be performed in a comparatively simple manner without handling the plate between the casting and I conical shape for receiving the chips made by a shaving blade 18 mounted on the core.

The casting box is providedwith a vertical longitudinal groove 21 which is filled by the matrix bar 22. It will be noticed that this matrix bar projects a short distance above the top of the casting box.

Mounted on and supported by the wall of the casting box 10 are bearing 24 for a driving shaft 25 on which is loosely mounted a driving pulley 26. A clutch 2? is provided for connecting this pulley in an obvious manner with the shaft and driving the shaft. A treadle is provided for operating the clutch and starting the shaft to operate. On this shaft is a worm 28 meshing with a worm wheel 29 which is fixed to the lower end of the core that projects below the casting chamber so that upon the connection of the pulley with the shaft this worm wheel and core will be rotated. The teeth of the clutch arearranged slanting on one side and the core can be driven in one direction only, so as to eject the plate. I

The shaft 25 by means of mitre gears drives a vertical shaft 31 which in turn drives a horizontal shaft mounted on a bracket 34 which is cast with the casting box 10 and extends upwardly therefrom. On this shaft 32 is a worm, 33 for driving a worm wheel 35. This worm wheel is provided with a hub 36 and is capable of rotating independently of the hub; On the hub is a spring pressed pin 37 for entering a socket 38 in the wheel so thatthe hub will be rotated with the wheel. The pin has a bevel flange 39 on the upper end thereof.

Above the hub of the worm wheel is a slidmg cam 40 having a beveled edge adapted to engage under the head of the pin and raise the pin. This cam is supported on spring rods 41 n'iounted in bearings on the bracket 34 and these spring rods normally force the cam into the position shown in.

Figs. 1 and 3 in which it raises the pin 37 out ofengageinent with the socket 38in the worm wheel. For the purpose/ of withdraw ing this earn a shaft 42 is provided on the bracket having which engage pins 44 on the rods 41. One of thearrns on the shaft 42 is shown as being connected bv av chain or the like 45 with a hand hol-df46. By pulling down on the chain the rods 41. are withdrawn and the pin 37 is allowed to plate cylinder of the press.

gear on the shaft 31 and meshes with a planetary pinion 51 on a vertical shaft 52.

This shaftis carried by a carrier 53 rotatable with the shaft 48. This shaft 52 is pro vided with a tail cutter 54 in the form of a circular saw. This is located at such a point that it will engage in a space on the plate when the same is elevated into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and will then rotate around the same and cut off the tail-.- A circular ring 55 is provided on the lower;

surface ofthe carrier 53 to receive the tail end of a plate as it is elevated, guiding it into proper position, and holding it. Hooks 5'? are provided for supporting the slug after it is severed.

,core forces the plate out longitudinally.

During this operation the shaving blade 18 on the top of the core shaves off the rib or ribs on the inside of the plate, leaving the interior surfaces of these ribs in the form of a perfect cylindrical surface; By this means it will be seen that only a small body of metal is being removed at any one time. Consequently, little power is required. Furthermore, the operation of removing the plate from the mold also causes the plate to be shaved on the interior and brought to a proper diameter for fitting the printing The shavings from this operation pass down the conical upper end of the core and out through the central passage therethrough so that they are taken care of by gravity.

The reason for extending the casting bar up above the top of the mold will be seen from what has been stated as it causes the plate to be held against rotation even when it rests on the top of the core.

The matrix and pouring sheet are raised from the mold with the plate, and consequently, during the shaving operation, the plate is still backed up bythe'pouring sheet and matrix and the type surface of the plate never comes into contact with a metallic holding surface during the entire shaving operation but remains in contact with the Sll operator pulls the chain 4:5 and then the constantly rotating worm gear imparts its rotation to the hub 36 and shaft L8. This causes the tail cutter to rotate around the plate one revolution and sever the slug. The slug is then held by the hooks 57 until the plate is removed from beneath it. It will be understood that while the plate is rising the tail engages the guide ring and the tail cutter is left in position to encircle the plate and remove the slug. At the end or a complete revolution the flange 39 on the top or the pin 37 again encounters the cam 40 which after being released by the hand of the operator automatically springs back to operative position.

It will be seen, therefore, that by this means the plate is removed from the mold without separating-the parts of the mold and consequently without any hand operation. I am aware or the fact l1OW6V81,ill3.l3 the core can be rotated by hand to eject the plate, and even to shave it without departing from the scope of this invention; During the ejection of the plate the interior is shaved to the proper cylindrical shape and size without the loss of time, and without transferring the plate from the mold to a shaving machine. VVhen the plate is completely ejected it is left in position for the tail cutting operation without any manual manipulation of the plate and tl e cutting of the tail is performed automatically after the mechanism is started. It is stopped at the end of a revolution automatically leaving the tail cutter in position for commencing the next operation.

. Although I have illustrated and described only a single form or" the invention and shown the machine as being driven by power I am aware of the fact that many modifications can be made therein and that it" can operated by hand and applied to the finishing of other kinds of castings without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited in these respects, but what I do claim is 1. The combination with a support for a cast plate, and means for ejecting the cast plate axially from said support, of a gear, means connected with the first named means for constantl rotating said gear when the first named means is in operation, a hub loosely mounted on the gear, means for connecting said hub with the gear for rotating the hub with the gear, a shaft in alignment with the axis of the support and rotatable with said hub, a tail cutter carried by said shaftat a distance from its center and adapt edto rotate therewith, and means connected with said tail cutter on its own axiswhile it :1Sr0tatmgaround the plate.

ejecting means "for rotating said 2. The combination or a gear, means for.

constantly rotating said gear,,a hub loosely mounted on the gear, means for connecting said hub with the gear for rotating the hub with the gear, a-shatt'rotatable'with said iub, a tailcutter carried by said shaft 'ata distance from its centerand adapted to rotatetherewith, and means for rotating said. 7

tail cutter onits own" axis while it is rotating around with the shaft.

I 3. In a tail cutting device the combina tionof a gear, a hub loosely connected with said gear, yielding-means adapted to connect'the hub with the gear once during each rotation of the latter, means for rotating the gear, means for automatically disengaging the connecting means after a rotation of the gear, a tailcutter, means operated by said hub for swinging said tail cutter around in a circle, and independent means for rotating Q said tailv cutter on its ownax1s1while ltis moving around in a circle.

4. In a tail cutting device, the combination of a wheel provided witha socket, means for rotating said wheel, a hub loosely mounted with respect to said wheel andhaving a spring-pressed pin adapted to enter said socket whereby the wheel will rotate the hub, a slidable cam mountedon said hub having means for withdrawing said pin after a rotation of the hubyma'nually' operated means for withdrawing thecam to. release the pin, a carrier rotatable with said l1t1b,2t tail cutter mounted on said carrier at a distance from the center, and external means for rotating the tail cutter on its own axis.

5. In a tail cutting device, the combination of a wheel provided with a socket,'means for rotatin said wheel a hub loose]. mounted with respect to said wheel and having a spring-pressed pin adapted .to enter said socket whereby the wheel will rotate the hub, means for withdrawing said pin after; 1, a rotation of the hub, a tail cutter mounted at a distance from the center, and external means for rotating the tail cutter on its own.

axis.

6. In a tail cutting device, the combination with means for feed ng a cylindrical plate axially, a carrier, a guide for receivlng the end of the plate and holding it in central position, means for rotating said carrier about the axis of theplate. a tail cutter carried by said carrier at a distancefrom the center. and means for rotating said tail cutter on its own axis as the plate rotates. I

7. The combination with a vertical sup- .llU

. I 1,454,o0e

port for a cast plate, of a shaft, means on the top of the support for preventing the plate from turning, a tail cutter mounted above the support, and means connected with said shaft for rotating said cutter on its 0WD axis and also rotating it about the axis of the plate While said plate is supported at the top of the support. a

8. The combination With a vertical box, of means for ejecting a cast plate from the box, means for simultanei'iusly shaving out the interior of the plate, and-means connected with said shaving means for cutting the tail from the plate after it has been ejected.

9. The combination With a support for a cast plate, of a shaft, means at the end of the support for preventing the plate from turning, a tail cutter, located at a distance beyond said means, means for moving the plate along the support into registration with said tail cutter, and means connected With said shaft for rotating said cutter on its own and also rotating it about the axis of the plate While said plate is on the support.

10. In a tubular plate finishing machine, the combination Withmeans for moving a tubular plate in an axial direction, of means for progressively shaving out the interior of the plate a short length at a time as the plate moves along.

11. In a plate finishing machine the combination of a rotary shaving blade extending only throughout a part of the length of a plate to be finished, With means for simultaneously rotating the blade and moving the plate longitudinally to progressively shave its interior.

12. In a plate finishing mechanism, the

combination With means for supporting a cast plate in position for cutting the tail therefrom, means for feeding a curved plate into said supporting means,means for shaving out the interior of th plate progressively as it engages said supporting means.

13. In a machine for finishing a tubular cast plate having a helical rib on its inner surface, the combination of rotary means for engaging said rib'and feeding the plate along axially thereby, With means for simultaneously shaving said rib.

142. The combination with a support for a cast plate, of a shaft, means at the end of the support for preventing theplate from turn ing, a tail cutter, and means connected with said shaft for rotating said cutter on its own axis and also rotating it above the axis of the plate while said plate is on the support, and hooks for supporting the severed tail while the plate is being removed from the support. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed 'my signature.

HENRY A. WISE WOOD. 

